The Grayston Unity in Halifax has just ended its first week in its brand new, expanded home across the other side of the town. And what a week it's been, a large number of old and new customers and the simply curious coming to check the place out, culminating in the return of the popular Town music festival....
And so, 6 weeks or so after the final pints had been pulled at the old place, the first were flowing in the Grayston Unity's new home on Horton Street, in the thriving Westgate Quarter of the town, close to the iconic Piece Hall and 5 minutes' walk from the railway station. Entry to a private party the day before the official opening date of October 13th was the hottest ticket in town and led to lengthy queues snaking back up the street.
It was back in May 2016 when the Grayston had first opened at the old site in Wesley Court, a two-roomed micro-sized bar with the retro lounge room away from the bar soon acquiring the title of smallest licensed venue in the country with a capacity of just 18, and whilst that was later increased to 55 when the dividing wall between the two rooms was taken down, it was still small. There was no room for further development and with the Grayston being out on a limb in relation to the town's other bars, the Piece Hall, and other attractions, even though it did have some busy periods, there were times, particularly in midweek, when it attracted little passing trade. The relationship with the property's landlords wasn't particularly good, and the lease was coming up for renewal, so when the opportunity of re-locating to a larger property that was being renovated as part of the town's Westgate development by receptive landlords arose, it was one which gave owners Michael and Jess Ainsworth gave some serious food for thought.
The property in question, a former childrenswear shop called Zest on Horton Street, clearly needed a lot of work doing on it as a few of us saw when we had a sneak preview of the premises back in November 2022 as the opportunity was being considered. The building, whilst structurally sound, was like a rambling bomb site; rubble here, broken off plasterboard there, pieces of wood, an old hanging rail recalling its previous use, all embellished by trailing ribbons of electrical wiring amidst the odd discarded white MDF cupboard and shelf unit. Access upstairs from the ground floor was via a ladder, and any further progress involved clambering through a large hole seemingly blasted through the wall. It needed some vision....
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| Mmm...bit of work needed here, mate, if you want it turning into a snug |
The decision was made, and over the subsequent months the building was transformed. But even a couple of weeks before it opened, walls plastered, floors screeded, doors in place, and the bar structure in situ, it was hard to envisage how the new Grayston would look once it finally opened.
A membership scheme had been set up some time ago at the old bar which gave discount on drinks, gig tickets, plus other benefits, which had been popular with many customers who over the years had bought into the bar's ethos, and so when Michael asked once the contractors had done their bit if there were volunteers to help with painting, decorating, and the like, there was a ready pool of people who were keen to help the cause. With Jess providing the vision of how it should look, blank walls and bare wood - although some bits were deliberately left alone - were transformed.
Pictures and other artefacts - many from the old Grayston - were placed in situ. New additions, such as an old ship's piano, were added. The basement downstairs was turned into a 110-capacity venue with wheelchair access, the industrial chic of the bare brick walls offset by a wallpapered back wall to the stage, complete with slightly kitsch paintings recalling the old Grayston's retro lounge. A small room at the top of the now-installed stairs became a quiet and cosy snug, referred to as Tiny Grayston, complete with old armchairs, mirrors, and an old fashioned floor lamp, and throws down a renewed challenge to being the country's smallest venue with a capacity of just 16 for gigs.
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| Where the hole was now; the upstairs snug aka Tiny Grayston |
So when I finally made it into the new Grayston on that opening party night, the place was heaving, with plenty of familiar faces from over the years at the old place, which slowed my progress to join the queue to get served. It was difficult to take in all the details but as I made my way around the room it was evident that much of the character and feel of Wesley Court had been recreated here, with both old and new artefacts and the jumble of assorted furniture working together in harmony. Behind the bar, above the rows of bottles of spirits, is a shelf more or less devoted to assorted tat, like the old Grayston, only more of it.
On the bar itself, the Grayston have gone with 5 hand pumps for cask ales and 8 keg lines. Cask beers include the perennial Grayston favourite, Goose Eye Chinook, with other ales from the likes of Roosters, Thornbridge, Saltaire, and Wensleydale, whilst on keg Cloudwater Fuzzy is a regular along with beers from the likes of Roosters and Thornbridge. Cloudwater are also supplying the house lager, Piccadilly Pale, whilst for drivers or those seeking an alternative there is a highly-rated hazy IPA which falls into the NoLo (no or low alcohol) category, also from Cloudwater, called Fresh which weighs in at a mere 0.5% ABV.
Interest remained high over the first weekend, but once that had been negotiated, attention turned immediately to the upcoming Town music festival. Because of the timing of the festival, there was hardly any time to catch breath from the opening weekend, but it did give both the team both in the bar and venue, and customers an early chance to get familiar with the new place.
I called in at the Grayston on the Wednesday evening the day before the gigs started. It was the start of an exhibition by local artist Marcus Jack entitled Live Fast Die Last, featuring some brilliant and vibrant paintings of 17 old punk rockers who are not dead, have made at least a few great records, and are still creating music, as they look now rather than when they first burst on the scene. So there's the likes of Johnny Rotten, Billy Idol, Iggy Pop, and Mick Jones sharing the walls in the music venue with the likes of Debbie Harry, Paul Weller, and Viv Albertine. The paintings have all sorts of references to the artist's career within them, and are on display until the middle of November.
The Festival was largely based in the downstairs venue, although there were a few events across town at the Temperance Movement cafe, Revo Records, and at Arden Road Social Club a few minutes out of the town centre, where the wonderful Bug Club played a fantastic set on the Saturday night supported by the ever-improving Wax Tree Cast, both bands clearly on an upward trajectory. There had been one gig the previous weekend plus a session to test out the sound and equipment, but the opening gig of the Town Festival on the Thursday night was the first opportunity I had to check out the venue. The gig featured art-rock collective Dilettante, who are fronted by multi-instrumentalist Francesca Pidgeon who is also a member of BC Camplight, supported by Dutch experimentalist keyboard player Mayshe Mayshe. It was a cracking opening gig, the sound was spot on, and importantly for a short guy like myself, the height and location of the stage meant I had no problems watching the gig.
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| Excellent gig from Dilettante |
The following evening the Grayston welcomed the Dutch Uncles, who are based in Manchester. It was the first time I'd seen the band whose indie art pop had elements of the likes of Talking Heads, Tears for Fears, Field Music, and a little bit of fellow Mancunians Everything, Everything. It was another most enjoyable evening.
The following day, at noon it was the official opening ceremony of the new bar when the town cryer came along to sound the bell and read a proclamation, after which the ribbon was cut by DJ and music industry legend James Endeacott and Sybil Bell, head of Independent Venue Week, watched by a small but enthusiastic crowd. This preceded an afternoon featuring young bands from around the Calderdale area. I caught some excellent jazz from the Harry Stobart Band and a strong set from indie band Grow, before heading over to Revo Records in the nearby Westgate Arcade where I caught a set from Gordon McKinney, whose fine performance belied a delayed and frustrating journey from Scotland, and local comedy music duo Wonky Puss, who were as entertaining as always, whilst on Saturday evening it was up to Arden Road to see the Bug Club as referred to above, with James and Sybil coming back to do a DJ set later in the evening at the Grayston's sister bar, the Meandering Bear.
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| The opening ceremony |
Sunday was the final day of the festival, although I was unable to watch too much of it as I was working, but I did manage to catch a little of folk collective A Rookery, who were excellent, before I started, and some wonderful melodic garage rock from Holiday Ghosts after I finished, the latter bringing the Festival weekend to a close, and I think it is safe to say it had been a highly successful event.
At one point over the weekend having a quiet moment to myself I sat on one of the high stools opposite the bar and looked around. There were groups of happy, smiling people all around the room, many of whom were friends or acquaintances I've got to know over the years since the original Grayston opened. Whilst this is a much bigger space, there is still much of the same spirit abroad that inhabited the old place. And whilst I may be biased, it is a seriously wonderful bar that I would urge you to visit next time you are in Halifax....
Address: Grayston Unity, 8 Horton Street, Halifax HX1 1PU
Follow me on twitter/X: @realalemusic
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